History
by Amiable Loner
Summary: What happens in the past doesn't always stay there. An old foe is after Gideon, and to make a father suffer, what better way than to hurt the son?
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I do not own.

Gideon stared at the number on his phone, unease building up within him as the device continued to ring. It wasn't anyone from the BAU, unless they had changed numbers in the time that he was gone, nor was it anyone he knew outside his former place of employment. Knowing that he would some day regret it, Gideon answered the phone.

"Gideon," he answered warily.

"The years haven't been good to you, have they Jason?" a sneering voice replied from the other end. Gideon recognized it, but for the life of him, he couldn't place it. "It's been so many years since we've last spoken, though I suppose our last conversation was like many of the interrogations you conducted through the years."

"Who is this?" Gideon demanded, not liking where the conversation was headed.

"I'm hurt Jason," the man said though he sounded anything but. "There is such...history between you and I, I'm distraught at the very thought of you forgetting who I am." That little phrase hit Jason Gideon like a Mack truck, bringing up old memories he'd hoped he'd buried and forgotten.

"Matheson? Rick Matheson?" he breathed, desperately hoping that he was wrong; and knowing he wasn't.

"There! I knew you'd remeber!" Matheson's cheery tone was darkened by the insanity that put an odd edge to his words. "I've waited many years for this day."

"What day would that be?" Gideon queried, unconsciously falling into his old profiler mode. "Last I heard you were locked away for life in a small, padded cell." Matheson did not take the bait.

"I've been recently...discharged to attend to a few personal matters."

"I find that unlikely, Rick. Who helped you escape? You aren't sane enough to have devised your own escape plan, that's why you always had a partner." Gideon heard a low, blood curdling chuckle echo eerily through the phone.

"That may be Jason, that very well may be. It won't stop me though. You took everything away from me that day, now I'm going to return the favor." Alarm bells went off in Gideon's head.

"That won't work, I don't have a family nor am I even associating with people," Gideon countered, hoping to outwit the lunatic.

"Jason, Jason," Matheson sighed patronizingly. "I'm well aware of your son and his family, don't worry, he's not the one I'm interested in. I'm more interested in your little protege in the BAU. Dr. Reid, is it?" Gideon surpressed any emotion and answered.

"I've had no contact with Agent Dr. Reid for years, he means nothing to me." Gideon winced as he said that, it had been extremely difficult to say. That unnerving chuckle echoed again.

"You may have not contacted him for some time, but I know he means a great deal to you, almost like a second son if I'm not mistaken." His voice hardened and became more sinister. "I'm going to take your "son" the way you took mine."

"Don't do this Rick," Gideon negotiated."Killing a Federal agent will only lead to your death, there is no need for it."

"I've already reconciled myself to death, even if your agents don't kill me or the government decides not to send me to death row, I will die."

"You'd kill yourself for no reason?"

"Not for no reason!" he exploded. "I've been merely a shell since you killed him, I've done my research, planning for this day for years. Now the opportunity has come, and I will finally be able to end this once and for all."

"Why are you telling me this?"

"I want you to live in the fear that at any given moment, your precious Dr. Reid will be taken from you and there is nothing you can do. For all you know, I could have him here with me this very moment." Gideon swallowed the bile rising in his throat. "But I don't. I want you to be there, I want to see the despair in your eyes as you watch him die, I want you to feel the world crashing down on you as you realize that even though you knew it was coming, you couldn't have stopped it." Gideon was silent, listening to Matheson's harsh panting as he finished his impassioned speech.

"I now bid you good bye Jason Gideon," he continued, far calmer than he had been a minute ago. "I know we will be seeing each other soon. You might want to see your precious genius one last time and beg his forgiveness before the end." With that the line went dead. Gideon stood there, stunned into inaction by his fear. _No, no no no! I can't watch him die again. Not now, not after all this!_ As if a switch had been flipped, Gideon was moving. His fingers, clumbsy with adrenaline, flew over the keys as they dialed a number that had been once familiar. He was in his car and firing it up when the other picked up.

"Hotchner."

"Hotch, listen to me, where's Reid?" Gideon demanded as he threw the car into drive and pressed the pedal to the floor.

"Gideon?" Hotch was clearly and understandably astonished. "I don't understand, what's..."

"Hotch! Where's Reid?" he all but shouted.

"He's here, at his desk," Hotch answered, the bewilderment coloring his voice.

"Is he safe?"

"Yes. Why wouldn't he be?" Gideon could hear the the hidden worry in Hotch's voice. He knew he'd be confused as hell if their roles were reversed_. _

"Hotch, I'm begging you, don't let him out of your sight, please. I'm going to meet you as soon as I can," Gideon answered, deftly swerving around traffic as he made his way to the intersate.

"Gideon, what's going on? Are you alright?" There was a deeper meaning to that question, Gideon didn't blame him but still felt his anger rise.

"Hotch, I may not be mentally stable enough to be a profiler anymore but I am not completely unhinged. I just received a call from an escaped murderer who is after Reid in a misguided attempt at revenge on me." He knew that sounded crazy, but it was probably the most coherent thing he'd said so far.

"What are you talking about?"

"Hotch, Rick Matheson is free and he's after Reid." He knew Hotch was familiar with the case, he hadn't worked it but he knew it as if he had.

"Are you sure?"

"Hotch, the man just called me and threatened to kill Reid."

"Alright, alright. What do you want me to do?" Gideon knew Hotch was taking this seriously and not attempting to appease a possibly mentally unstable man.

"For now, keep him near you until we know more. Lock him in your office or handcuff him to Morgan if you have to, just don't let him go anywhere alone. I want all of you to reivew the case so you know what to expect. I'll be there as soon as I can."

"You said "we"," Hotch said. "Gideon, you're not a part of this team anymore."

"I know, but I know this man better than any of you, you'll need my help."

"Alright," Hotch conceeded. "I don't know how he'll take this."

"I know," Gideon whispered as he manuvered around the cars impeeding him. "Just keep him safe."

"We will," Hotch promised as he ended the called. Gideon prayed that this would end well but had a feeling it wouldn't.

XXX

"Confrence room, now," Hotch ordered tersely. The team looked up at him in surprise then glanced at each other. Exchanging confused glances they made their way to the room. As they took their seats, Garcia bustled in with a stack of files. Hotch thanked her and handed them out.

"What is this?" Morgan asked. "This case was closed before Reid was born."

"I was three at the time," Reid protested. Rossi rolled his eyes.

"What's going on?" Prentiss asked.

"I just received a call from Gideon," he began slowly, letting the information sink in and judging their reactions. Most were surprise with a mix of hurt and anger. Morgan's features showed confusion and betrayal, Reid's showed the most heart wrenching mix of confusion, hurt, anger, betrayal, and even tentative joy. "He told me he received a call from Rick Matheson, the case is his." Their eyes immediately scanned the files.

"He was convicted of murder," Morgan read aloud. "He was found to be insane and sentenced to life in a sannitarium."

"He tortured ten people to death," Prentiss read, horror creeping into her voice. "He used almost every known form of torture from the Middle Ages to the present."

"How does an insane man do this to ten people and not get caught?" JJ asked. "Doesn't an insane man lack the capacity to do this that many times?"

"Yes, but he had a partner," Reid answered as his eyes flew over the words. "His partner, 28 year old Bobby Nells, picked the victims and disposed of the bodies."

"Matheson claimed to be doing research," Rossi continued. "He was at one time a professor at a local college, lecturing in ethics." He raised his eyebrows at the irony. "He survived a brutal robbery, his wife did not. He lost his job at the university because he was becoming more and more unstable, his lectures focusing on torture and retribution."

"He disappeared for a time," Prentiss said as she took up the narrative. "Then he published papers on torture and what a human being could endure. Somewhere along the way, Nells became fascinated with his work and became his student."

"A protege," Hotch added. "Nells worshiped Matheson, he gladly found the victims, documented every moment of their suffering, and disposed of the bodies. Most of the evidence used against Matheson in his trial was Nells' own notes. They documented everything, many things deemed too disturbing for the public to know."

"What happened to Nells?" JJ asked, flipping through the files.

"He was killed in the raid," Hotch answered. "Matheson wouldn't come willingly, he was armed and had fired at several shots at the officers, killing one. Before anyone could stop him, Nells leapt in front of Matheson just as Gideon pulled the trigger. Nells died almost immediately, the shock of his death immobolized Matheson and he was arrested. He was sentenced, but not before swearing revenge on Gideon. At the time, no one took him seriously." Nods accompanied this statement, they had all heard convicted felons swear vengence on the people who put them there, most times nothing ever came of them.

"What does this have to do with us?" Garcia asked.

"Matheson escaped and called Gideon earlier. He's back to make Gideon suffer the way he suffered, grieving the loss of someone he considered a son." The information took a moment to sink in, but when it did, all eyes turned toward Reid. The young genius squirmed under their intense scrutiny. "Reid, as of right now, you cannot go anywhere without at least one of us with you. Matheson is a sadistic killer, we cannot let him have the opportunity to get to you." He let Reid absorb that. Now for the hard part. "Gideon is on his way, we'll need his help with this." This was all too much for Reid. He got up suddenly and fled the room. Morgan exchanged a look with Hotch before following his friend.

He found him in the men's room, huddled in a corner, looking so lost and confused that it made Morgan's stomach clench.

"Hey kid," he greeted. Reid didn't answer, he just stared blankly at the floor. Morgan sighed. "Look, I know this is a lot to deal with, but you're not going through this alone, we're all here and have got your back."

"I know," Reid mumbled. "It's just, I don't know." He turned pleading eyes to Morgan. "This will all work out, right?" Morgan was stunned at the childlike plea.

"Yeah kid, this is all gonna be alright. I swear." He meant every word, so why did he feel like he had just lied to his friend?


	2. Chapter 2

Jason Gideon was considered by many to be a brave man. He also considered himself a brave man, arrogance did not breed this self belief, but rather his perception of bravery and his former career did not stare down dangerous and violent criminals and negotiate with them, face a grieving family, or take a man's life to save others without a decent amount of bravery and self-sacrifice.

But standing there, outside the place where he had devoted much of his life, he had never felt so afraid. Matheson's threat hung over him like a dark cloud, but it was the reactions of his former teammates that had him frozen outside the door. He didn't know how long he stood there, running scenario after scenario through his mind, and coming no closer to his goal. After some time, he finally worked up the courage to go through the door.

As he made his way toward the conference room where they waited, he felt his courage falter and threaten to abandon him completely. Some how he made it, he didn't know how he did, but he made it. Slowly, he entered the room. Seven pairs of eyes stared back at him.

Dead silence fell over the room for several long Hotch took control.

"Gideon, good to see you again," he greeted in the same manner he greeted everyone he was trying to help or was receiving help from. Gideon felt oddly comforted by his friend's usual lack of emotion.

"Long time no see," Rossi called from his place next to Hotch. His easy manner and relaxed pose also comforted Gideon. Dave was exactly as he remembered.

"Good to see you too," he replied to both Hotch and Rossi.

"Welcome back sir," Garcia greeted, a bit softer than normal for her, but still cheerful. JJ and Prentiss similarily expressed their greetings. Strong emotions warred across Morgan's features, he hadn't said anything yet, but he had nodded in greeting to Gideon. And Reid, it almost tore Gideon apart. Reid was silent, staring at him as if someone had brought Tobias Henkel back from the dead.

"We have a lot to do in a very short amount of time," Hotch announced. "Our UnSub, Rick Matheson, is on a mission and we need to find him before he either completes his mission or hurts someone." They immediately fell into profiling mode. "Gideon, since you worked the case, tell us more about him."

"As you've read in the file, Matheson is insane. He is disorganized, but is able to plan well enough to make the torment last as long as possible for his victims. At times he can plan very well, but he cannot follow through, he can't stay with it. That's why his partner, Nells, was so vital to their crimes. He was the one who found the victims and disposed of them. He never engaged in the actual torture, but he did record everything.

" Matheson is completely remorseless, Nells was too. Some how, Matheson has another accomplice. He couldn't have escaped on his own, someone helped him. That same person will also be the one who we'll see in public. We wont' see Matheson until he plays his end game. I also stress that we be as careful as possible, Matheson will have picked someone just as twisted as he is," Gideon finished.

"Are we telling the public?" Prentiss asked.

"As soon as we build a profile on his partner," Hotch assured. "We're going to need their help." Turning to Garcia, he said, "Garcia, I want you to look into every employee at the sannitarium where Matheson was and any and all visitors he had."

"On it sir," she said as she got up and left. Everyone else started to go to their desks to do their own research. Gideon intercepted Reid before he could leave.

"Can I talk to you for a bit?" he asked the young agent. Mutely, Reid nodded. He waited for the room to empty before he began. "Reid, I understand your anger towards me and believe me when I say I never wanted any of this to happen."

"This thing with Matheson or the BAU in general?" Reid shot back. Gideon flinched. "Gideon, it took me a while to understand why you left and I can even understand why you left the way you did, but why didn't you ever contact us?" Gideon felt terrible as he saw the pain in his young friend's eyes.

"I'm sorry Reid, I just don't know."

"I've recently contacted my father," Reid announced. "That was hard, but now we're at least trying to start over. This, this is a shock," he went on, running his hands over his face and through his hair. "There've been so many times when I wished you were still here, but I've accepted that you had to leave. I just haven't been able to accept the abandonment your departure left behind." He stopped and faced his former mentor. Gideon took in Reid's haggard appearance, the messy hair, the anxious features, and his expressive eyes.

"I'm truly sorry Reid," he whispered. "For everything. Can you forgive me?" Reid was silent a long time, pacing a bit. Finally, he spoke.

"I trusted you, and you left," he murmmured brokenly. "We've needed you, I've needed you. But then we moved on. It was like you were never here, just like Elle. You left just like my dad." He paused a moment and took a deep breath. "I think I've already forgiven you, it's just seeing you again brings up a lot of things."

"I know," Gideon whispered. A small smile played on his lips. "I don't know about your father, Reid, but I know that I am very proud of you, for the man you've become." A smile tweaked Reid's lips as well, Gideon was sure he saw some tears well up in his eyes. With a sniff and a quick hand, they were gone.

"I think we should go help the others," he said.

"Yeah," Gideon agreed with a nod, smile still on his face.

XXX

Two weeks later

XXX

Two weeks had gone by and they had nothing. In that time they had exhausted every lead and still worked on two grueling cases in two states. Tempers were short and everyone was running on fumes. Reid was not happy with having a constant babysitter, as he called them. Most times he stayed with Morgan, they had all deemed his apartment too dangerous, and at times he stayed with Hotch. He had caused an uproar when he decided to take a break by slipping away to be alone on the roof, Hotch had threatened to handcuff him to his desk if he pulled something like that again. Everyone was tired and frustrated.

"So far, we've come up with nobody who'd want to see Matheson free," Morgan groused. "No family, no friends. He lost them all when he lost his wife."

"Nells didn't have anyone either," Prentiss added. "His mom died when he was four, his father was the town drunk and abuser, and no siblings."

"Did he have any aunts or cousins that would want vengence for his death?" Hotch asked, even though they'd gone over this before.

"No," Reid drawled. "He had some uncles, but they weren't any better than his father. Besides, they're either dead or locked up." He scowled in thought then jumped as if he'd been kicked.

"What is it?" Morgan asked, slightly interested.

"I just remembered something," Reid said as he rummaged through the stack of papers before him. "I saw somewhere that Nells had a cousin on his mom's side who tried to have his father put away and him into foster care." He dug some more then pulled out a few papers. "Here, his cousin Margaret Hennings, called the police multiple times but they never did anything," he frowned. It deepened as he read on. "It says here that she had been killed shortly after Matheson lost his wife, that could be why Nells turned to him."

"Losing the only person who ever cared for you," Morgan began.

"I'd call that the missing trigger," Rossi added.

"Did they ever find out who killed her?" Gideon asked.

"No, but her brother Mark was long suspected for it. He was known for being violent and had alledgedly beaten Bobby along with his uncles."

"She must have known that," Prentiss continued. "He killed her to keep her quiet."

"But was it intentional?" Hotch queried. "He may have been beating her and things got out of hand. How did she die Reid?"

"Umm, she was killed by blunt force trauma to the head. Police assumed that it was the same person who killed Matheson's wife when they couldn't find any evidence to link Mark to the killing."

"So where has he been all these years?" Prentiss asked.

"I'll call Garcia," Morgan said as he pulled out his phone.

"I can't believe we didn't think of this before," Rossi remarked.

"We're all under a lot of stress," Gideon said. "While all this was happening you also were solving other difficult cases. It's no wonder something like this was overlooked."

"What?" Morgan suddenly exclaimed, causing them all to turn to him. "Hold on baby girl, I'll put you on speaker." He pushed a button and made sure everyone was listening. "Go ahead sweet heart."

"Your Hennings guy," she began. "He's a real piece of work. He's been in and out of prison for assault and has several restraining orders from every girl he ever dated. He's been locked up for drugs and the attempted murder of a teenager. Right now he's on parole but disappeared a month ago."

"But why would he want to help Matheson?" Prentiss asked. "He obviously didn't care much for his cousin."

"Maybe he's angry at the police for taking away his favorite whipping boy," Rossi suggested.

"Yeah, he's got several charges laid against him by his sister for beating their cousin, Bobby Nells. You should see the hospital records, this guy is one sick son of a bitch. He seemed to like torturing his defenseless cousin."

"That would explain why he would team up with a known sadist," Gideon remarked.

"Do you have an address or a workplace for this guy Garcia?" Hotch asked.

"No sir, but I'll do a little more digging and hopefully I'll find it."

"Good," Hotch said, ending the conversation. The team exchanged glances with each other.

"How do you think he met up with Matheson?" Morgan asked.

"They lived in the same small town, he knew about the trial and the sentencing, all he had to do was avoid the cops and contact Matheson at the sannitarium," Gideon said.

"Matheson gives him the chance to get back at the people who've made his life miserable and to hurt someone," Reid added. "All he has to do is break him out and do whatever Matheson tells him to do. He doesn't care as long as he doesn't get caught."

"I'll have JJ run a press confrence," Hotch said. "We need the public's help on this one." Nods greeted this statement, they all felt lighter now that they had somewhere to go with this. Their moods had significantly improved over this one lead though they knew they couldn't get their hopes up too high in case it was another dead end. But it was still something.

XXX

Two days of phones ringing off the hooks and they still had very little to go on. It was amazing that so many people had seen Hennings or his car but nothing that would lead them to him and then Matheson. Wearily, they sat at their desks and hoped for a lead.

Gideon suddenly burst into the bullpen, eyes blazing and jaw set in a hard line. In his hand he clutched an evidence bag with a small piece of paper inside. "Confrence room, now!" he snapped.

"What's going on?" Prentiss asked.

"Not now, inside." Glancing at each other, the three agents followed him into the confrence room, meeting Hotch and Rossi. Once inside, Gideon threw the bag onto the table.

"That was taped to the door, forensics already checked it out and there's nothing." Hotch picked it up and began to read aloud.

_"Jason,_

_You've done quite well in keeping Dr. Reid away from me, but I assure you that you have only delayed the inevitable. Your futile attempts to find me simply wasted your time and energy. I'll be generous and give you one more day with your doctor, after that we shall meet. Give Dr. Reid my regards and you should all say goodbye now, there won't be time later. The end of this saga is coming to a close."_

Morgan slammed a furious hand onto the table. "I will _not _let this guy mess with us any more!" he roared.

"Easy Morgan," Hotch cautioned. "We're all angry, but we need to keep cool heads or we'll play right into his hands." Morgan relented a little, anger simmering. Without a word, Reid got up and left, not bothering to even close the door on his hurried escape. Morgan made a move as to follow, but Gideon cut him off. He followed his young friend to a secluded hall.

Reid stood rigidly, long arms wrapped around himself. Gideon placed a comforting hand on his shoulder. "How're you holding up?" he asked gently. Reid sighed.

"I'm so tired of this!" he exclaimed. "I'm tired of looking over my shoulder for a sadistic killer who's out for revenge."

"I know, I'm tired of this too. I didn't ask for a lunatic hunting down my protege," he said. They were silent for a few heartbeats, neither knowing what to say. Finally, Reid broke the silence.

"I'm not that worried about myself," he said softly. "I mean, I don't want to die and I'm not going to get myself killed intentionally so you guys can get him, but I'm more worried about you, Gideon, and the rest of the team." Gideon met and held his gaze, his own unreadable. "I've been in so many life threatening situations," he continued, a small smile playing on his lips. "I've been terrified, but I hate what that does to everyone else. I hate seeing everyone torn apart when I get get myself into trouble. I don't want you to feel like this is all your fault, I've seen how you all look when it looks like I'm going to die and you can't stop it. I know Morgan and Hotch have blamed themselves for several events, I don't want this to rip everyone apart, no matter how it ends."

"Reid, I don't think I've ever met someone like you," Gideon said warmly. "Someone so selfless towards everyone, not just his friends. We don't like seeing you risk your life, but at the same time we're astounded at what you can do, your strength and empathy constantly amaze us. I promise you Reid, this will end well." Reid smiled gratefully.

"Hey guys," Morgan called from down the hall. "We've got an address." Reid and Gideon exchanged looks.

"Ready?" Gideon asked. Reid nodded. They hurried to meet Morgan and the rest of the team, the sense that this was all coming to an end hung around them all.


	3. Chapter 3

As the SUVs barreled down the road, sirens blaring and lights flashing, Gideon couldn't stop himself from going back to the first time they had gone after Matheson. He could still remember how he felt that day as they followed up on that lead, could still feel how it felt at the end of the day knowing that it was him who killed Bobby, a kid, despite all that he had done. Unbidden, the memories came back.

_They had cleared the main house and the upstairs, the only place left to look was the basement. Cautiously they went down, guns at the ready. They found them, the disturbed pair that had killed so many people, cornered in the rear of the terrible room. Gideon tried to ignore the various torture devices lining the walls and shelves, some still glistening with fresh blood, others looked to have a layer of rust on them from the dried blood of the many victims who had met their end in this dismal place. Around him, Gideon could hear men curse and some leave to expel the contents of their stomachs with some dignity._

_"Give it up Rick," Gideon said quietly yet firmly, "you've lost and there's nowhere for you to go."_

_"So Agent Gideon, we finally meet," the deranged man cackled. "It seems our game must finally come to an end, but you'll never take me alive, I plan to leave my place in history." Deciding that talking to Matheson wouldn't work, Gideon turned his attention to his accomplice._

_"Bobby," he cajoled. The terrified young man snapped to attention. "Turn yourself in, there's no need for anyone else to get hurt. If you come quietly I can get you help." Gideon wasn't lying, he knew both men were in desperate need of mental help, he wanted to get both in a sanitarium where they could finally receive that help even if they were locked away for the rest of their lives._

_"No!" Bobby cried vehemently. "Rick's the only one who's ever helped me and you're trying to take him away from me!" Gideon shook his head._

_"I want to help you Bobby, just come quietly and no one will hurt you."_

_"NO! You're lying!" he screamed, holding his hands over his ears. Gideon was privately amazed that two men barely able to function had caused this much damage to this small town. He turned his attention back to Matheson._

_"Rick, I know you only want what's best for Bobby, please, both of you come quietly, there's no need for anymore death." Their guns had been trained on the two but significantly focused when Matheson brought out his own gun._

_"I'm going to end this," Matheson said, madness coloring his voice. He raised the gun and fired. Three men fell, one did not move again. Gideon took aim while the officers tended their fallen. _

_"NO!" Bobby screamed as he jumped in front of Matheson. Gideon felt bile rise in his throat as his own bullet pierced Bobby's chest, along with the bullets from the remaining officers and one from Matheson's gun. They all froze as the young man made one pained sound before collapsing in a bloody heap at his mentor's feet. The gun fell from Matheson's hand as he dropped to his knees. The officers kept their guns trained on him as Gideon grimly cuffed the catatonic man. Matheson did not resist, he simply kept staring at the body of the one person he cared about. _

_Days later, after the sentencing, Matheson found Gideon and said, "Someday, I will make you pay for this Jason Gideon." The officers pulled him away and Gideon never gave another thought to the threat._

Now, he wished he had.

He felt his eyes involuntarily seek out the other SUV where Morgan, Reid, and Prentiss were riding. He could feel the worried gazes of Hotch and Rossi every now and then, but he ignored them. Despite his best efforts, Gideon could not stop his mind from conjuring up some disaster befalling Reid. In his mind, he saw Bobby's death, but now Reid replaced the unfortunate young man. He could feel his mind slipping…

"We won't let anything happen to him," Rossi vowed quietly, bringing Gideon out of his dark reverie. He locked eyes with the other profiler, silently thanking him for his timely intervention. Rossi simply nodded. The rest of the ride was silent, each caught in his own private torment.

After a short eternity, they arrived at the deteriorating house. From the road, it looked quiet and harmless enough, even if it was condemned, but they had all seen enough horrors to think that the house was completely harmless. Before going in, Hotch called them all over to him.

"I don't think I need to remind you of what's at stake here," he began. "So be careful." His eyes landed on Reid. "Reid, take this and don't ever go anywhere without it." He handed the younger man a small device with a small button. "Press this if anything happens, it will alert us and turn on a GPS tracker. Please Reid, normally I wouldn't do something like this but this is important." Reid took it with only a small moment of hesitation.

"I promise," he vowed as he put it in his pocket.

"Good, now you and Morgan take the upstairs, Prentiss and Rossi take the basement, Gideon and I will take the main floor." They broke apart with a small nod and met up with the SWAT members that would go with them.

Cries of "FBI!" sounded about the old house, with no answer. Each room was systematically cleared and then searched.

"Basement's clear," Rossi announced.

"It's clear up here," Hotch echoed.

"Attic and second floor are clear," Morgan finished, sounding a bit discouraged. Having ascertained that Matheson and Hennings were not there, they combed through the house, searching for anything that would lead them to any answers.

Upstairs, Morgan and Reid combed through the bedrooms, and finding nothing, continued on to the attic. After several minutes of silence, Morgan spoke, "I don't understand this guy. He's obviously after you, but he hasn't made one single move to do so."

"He did say that tomorrow is when he'll strike," Reid replied absently as he dug through an old closet.

"But why? Why tomorrow?" Morgan mused aloud. Reid paused in his search.

"Tomorrow is the anniversary of Bobby's death," he said suddenly. "This is all personal; he's hoping that he'll find the peace he needs by killing me to get even with Gideon." Morgan stared at him.

"So why bring us here? Is this all a game to him?"

"I think so," Reid went on. "It's a game that he's playing to wear us down so that when he makes his final move…"

"We'll be so distracted that we won't see what's coming," Morgan finished. "Just like Gardner did." Reid nodded, eyes darkening at the memory of Randall Gardner and what he'd done to their team and his own daughter. Their eyes met, but before they could say anymore, an explosion shook the foundations of the house. The floor cracked and buckled beneath their feet, sending them to their knees. Through their ear pieces they could hear Hotch calling out to his team, then the floor dropped out and their worlds went black.

Hotch and Gideon were on their way to meet up with Rossi and Prentiss when the explosion rocked the house. They fell to the floor, trying to make sense of what had just happened. Once he could see straight, Hotch started calling out to his teammates. He got a response from Rossi and Prentiss, who were alright but they were trapped, but nothing from Morgan or Reid. That's when he heard the sickening sound of ancient timbers groaning and shrieking as they fell into the waiting fire.

"Where's Reid?" Gideon cried frantically. Hotch grabbed him by the shoulders.

"Jason, Jason! We need to get to Rossi and Prentiss, Reid has Morgan to help him, and right now we have to hope that's enough. You can't do anything for him at the moment." Gideon looked ready to argue but he went with Hotch to free Rossi and Prentiss. Thankfully it was only the door that was blocked and they were far enough away from the blast sight to avoid serious injury. With the help of the SWAT team they managed to clear the doorway for them to escape. The house was quickly filling with smoke, fire slowly consuming the decrepit building. They made it out, but there was still no sign of Morgan or Reid. Hotch tried contacting them again, but to no avail.

"What do you think happened to them?" Prentiss asked, wincing slightly as a paramedic prodded a gash on her forehead.

"I don't know," Hotch admitted.

"We need to find them," Gideon insisted.

"I agree but how?" Rossi demanded. "It would be impossible for us to get back in; the firemen are having a hard time putting out the flames and…"

"Agents!" one of the firemen called, waving his yellow clad arm to get their attention. "Over here, you need to see this!" Regardless of any injuries, the four agents ran to where the man had indicated, several medics following. When they got there, the sight froze them in their tracks. Morgan and Reid lay unconscious on the ground, side by side and safely away from the blaze. Resting on Reid's chest was a note, on Morgan's, a bullet. The note plainly said,

_This would have been so easy, but you still have one more day._

As much as he would have liked to crush the note and thrown it into the fire, Hotch had it bagged and sent in for forensics. Gideon was already trying to wake up Reid, Prentiss doing the same to Morgan. After a few tries, the two woke up. The paramedics were already doing their jobs as Hotch asked them what they remembered.

"I don't remember anything," Morgan admitted. "We were looking through the attic and then there was the explosion and then we were here."

"I felt someone carrying me," Reid added. "I thought it was Morgan, but I guess not." Both agents were visibly rattled that they had come so close to at least one of the UnSubs and death and hadn't known.

"We'll talk later," Hotch decided. "The medics want to get us to the hospital to clear us completely." No one argued and soon they were all on their way to the hospital.

Having been cleared by the doctors, Gideon sought out his protégé. Reid was still in the examination room, waiting for the results of a test to come back. "Hey," the younger man greeted.

"Hey," Gideon returned, a small smile playing on his lips. "How're you doing?"

"I think I'm alright. How about you?"

"I'm fine, but I didn't fall from the attic to the second floor either." The conversation was ended by the return of the doctor, telling Reid he was free to go. Gideon planned on continuing the conversation, but he never got the chance. Upon being released from the hospital, the team met up again.

"How is everyone?" Hotch began. Various responses of "fine" answered his question. "Alright then, if Matheson plans on striking tomorrow, then we need to be ready, for anything. What's the significance of tomorrow for him?"

"Tomorrow's the anniversary of his partner's death," Morgan supplied. Gideon confirmed that with a grim nod.

"I'd almost forgotten," he whispered.

"So he doesn't plan on torturing Reid if he should get to him," Rossi mused aloud.

"No, the focus of his revenge is Gideon," Reid said, not making eye contact with anyone. "I'm just the means to an end." Gideon placed a comforting hand on his shoulder, giving it a gentle squeeze.

"Not if we have anything to say about it," Morgan murmured vehemently.

"So, how do we keep Reid away from these guys?" Prentiss asked. "We can't keep him locked up somewhere." She glanced at Reid. "Sorry, I don't mean to talk about you as if you weren't here." Reid shrugged it off, still looking away.

"Reid, we can't let you be any more visible than you already are," Hotch said. "We can't be near you no matter how much we may want to. I'm sorry, but I'll have to place you in protective custody. I'm not confining you to your home, but you can't go anywhere without the agents I'll assign to protect you." Reid was silent, obviously not happy with the arrangement, but unable to argue. "I'm sorry Reid."

"No Hotch, it's not your fault that this has to be like this."

"Reid," Gideon began.

"No, Gideon, this isn't your fault either." A crooked grin twisted his lips. "I seem to naturally attract psychos." Turning to Hotch, he asked, "When do I get my bodyguards?"

"Tonight, when you go home." Reid nodded shortly.

"Hotch, I don't like this arrangement," Morgan protested.

"Me either," Prentiss added.

"I know, but what choice do we have? We can't do a good enough job to protect him, today proved that." Morgan and Prentiss relented grudgingly. Exhausted, they went back to their desks to work some more on whatever they could find. Unfortunately, it wasn't much.

"I don't understand this," Prentiss suddenly exclaimed. "Neither one of these guys is that smart, and yet they haven't left one thing that could lead us to them, they've only left what they've wanted us to find."

"Matheson has been to jail, he probably remembers the procedures that helped put him there," Morgan suggested.

"But they don't fit the profile of two rather disorganized men," Prentiss countered.

"Maybe we haven't given Hennings enough credit," Reid mused. "I mean, Matheson is obviously the one in charge, but maybe Hennings is a lot more organized than we first thought. I mean, he's been to jail for numerous small convictions, he'd know more about how people are sent to prison with forensics. He's following Matheson, but he's taking the initiative to fix the problems in his plans." Prentiss and Morgan took a moment to digest that, but before they continued, Reid's bodyguards arrived.

"Looks like your dates are here pretty boy," Morgan teased. Reid rolled his eyes as he gathered his things.

"See you tomorrow Reid," Prentiss called as he and his escort exited the room. Reid waved a bit without turning. Morgan and Prentiss went back to their work, halfheartedly.

Reid dropped his things unceremoniously on his living room floor. "You guys can help yourselves to whatever's in the fridge…" A loud thump cut him off. He whirled around to see one of his bodyguards lying on the floor, the other standing over him, a gun in his hand.

"I'm sorry Dr. Reid," he said, voice trembling a bit. "I have to do this."

"Why?" Reid asked, reaching for his gun.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you," he warned, nudging the fallen man at his feet. "I don't want to hurt him, but I will if I have to." Reid hadn't released his gun yet. "Doctor, cooperate with me, I don't want to hurt him."

"Then answer me, why are you doing this?" Reid pleaded. He was slowly working his gun out of its holster, hoping the man wouldn't notice his movements.

"I said to leave your gun alone Doctor!" the man cried. The gun in his hand wavered dangerously, aiming at the hapless man on the floor. "You don't want to be responsible for any more innocent people dying, do you Doctor?" Images of the husband and wife that Tobias Henkel had killed flashed through Reid's mind. Slowly, he removed his gun and holster from his belt and slid them across the floor to the agent. "Good," he said. Reid slowly raised his hands. "Very good, you've been through this before haven't you?" Reid didn't bother to answer. "Now, if you come with me without any fuss I won't have to hurt you." Try as he might, the agent couldn't keep the tremor out of his voice or hands, making Reid wonder again why he was doing this.

To his left, Reid had taken notice of an empty vase he had sitting on a nearby table, he wasn't sure why he had a vase there but at the moment he was glad it was there. Deftly moving his hand to activate the GPS Hotch had given him; Reid desperately made a dive for the vase and hurled it as hard as he could at his would be abductor. It made contact, but didn't knock him out as he had hoped. Instead, it shattered against his chest and made him angry. "I warned you Doctor!" he yelled as he aimed the gun anew. The last thing Reid heard before he passed out was the report of the gun, the last thing he saw was his clock proudly displaying 12:30 A.M. Searing pain went through his side, sending him to the ground where blackness soon embraced him.

_I'm sorry Gideon…_


	4. Chapter 4

After he'd received the call, all Gideon could feel was a numbing horror that paralyzed his body and froze his blood in his veins. Hotch's barely controlled voice kept echoing over and over again through his mind with that hated message:

"_Gideon, he's got Reid."_

Images of what Matheson was capable of kept appearing in his mind every time he blinked, images of what could be happening to Reid at this moment made his stomach roil. Thoughts of what had already happened to Reid and what had happened to Sarah kept burning themselves on his mind's eye.

He desperately wanted to go to the others, to help them find their youngest, but he could not move. He wanted so badly to help find the man he saw as his son, but the sheer terror of what could be happening to him right now countered that desire effectively. It was if Frank had come back from the dead and was challenging him once more. Resolutely, he made his body obey his mind and heart's demands and moved.

_Hold on Reid, we're coming…_

XXX

When he came around, Reid found that he was leaning on the cool window of a moving car. Focusing his groggy eyes, he found that it was late morning and he and his captor were still moving. His right side throbbed, he could actually feel the bullet still inside his body, but it had been treated enough to stop the bleeding. He lifted his head and turned to his abductor. The man was a fellow Bureau agent, why he was doing this was a mystery to Reid.

"Don't look at me like that," the man said tersely. "I'm not any happier about this than you are but I have to do this."

"Why?"

"They have my little girl, Molly," he answered softly. "She's seven, somehow they managed to take her before I could pick her up from school. They left a note telling me to bring you to them and they'll give her back."

"Why didn't you tell anyone?" Reid asked, discreetly checking to see if his locator was still on him. Thankfully, it was.

"They said not to and I couldn't waste any time."

"Do you really think they'll keep their word?" Reid countered.

"They have my little girl!" he cried. "She's all I have left and I'd go to the ends of the earth if I had to." Reid now saw a desperate father afraid for his daughter's life, instead of the faceless abductor.

"What's your name?" the young man asked.

"Steve Johnson," he replied. "Believe me when I say I don't want to do this."

"I know."

XXX

They arrived at a modest looking farmhouse somewhere deep in the Virginia countryside, no neighbors and miles away from any town, perfect for a pair sadistic psychotics.

Johnson led Reid to the porch where Matheson and Hennings waited, a small blond girl held in Hennings' massive arms. Tears streamed from her brown eyes as she tried to stifle her sobs.

"I've got him, not give me my daughter," Johnson demanded.

"Bring him here," Matheson ordered. "Then you can have your brat." Reid was reluctantly brought up the steps and handed to Hennings who relinquished his hold on Molly. The little girl leapt into her father's arms, sobbing uncontrollably. Reid watched the reunion apprehensively, fearing what the outcome of this may be.

As Johnson and his daughter were heading back to the car, Matheson called out, "Wait." Johnson paused, pushing his daughter behind him. Matheson raised a gun and pointed it at him. "I really can't have you leaving and telling anyone where I am…"

"No!" Reid cried as he lunged forward, breaking free of Hennings. He knocked Matheson to the ground just as he pulled the trigger, the bullet sailed harmlessly past Johnson and Molly. "GO!" Reid demanded as he struggled against both Matheson and Hennings. Johnson wasted no more time as he scooped up his daughter and dove into the car. Matheson managed to free himself from Reid to shoot, but they were already out of range. Reid felt unbelievably relived as he watched the two escape despite his situation.

Hennings effortlessly lifted the younger man up, Reid did not struggle, he had no more strength to fight back even though he wanted to. Matheson picked himself off the ground and strode angrily into the house, Hennings following obediently.

He threw Reid onto the floor of an empty room with no windows. Matheson appeared with a four foot two by four and brought it down mercilessly onto Reid's exposed stomach. The air was forced from his lungs and his wound seared with renewed pain. The pain was so great that he couldn't make a sound, only gasp weakly. Matheson brought it down again and again, never relenting in his rage. Reid curled up as best as he could to protect himself from the blows, crying out and sobbing from the pain. Through it all, neither Matheson or Hennings said a word.

When the beating was finally over, Matheson carelessly threw the plank to the side and stepped back to admire his handiwork. "Gideon must see what has happened to you," he said at length. "He needs to feel the desperate hopelessness of knowing what was going to happen to you but being unable to stop it."

"Is that how you felt when that man killed your wife?" Reid croaked, knowing he was taking a great risk. "He tortured her, didn't he? And you couldn't stop it, you were too weak to stop him from hurting her."

"Shut up!"

"Is that how you felt about Bobby too? You knew how he was," Reid continued, hoping this would work. "Some part of you knew what you were doing was wrong, but you couldn't stop. You knew Bobby would die eventually, but you couldn't stop it. Does Hennings know that? You plan to use him just like Bobby, probably even want to kill him yourself because he was one of Bobby's tormentors."

"I said, shut up!" Matheson screamed as he landed a vicious kick to Reid's head. He turned to Hennings and barked, "Do what you want, just don't kill him." With that said, he stormed out of the room. Reid blearily watched Hennings move in, dreading what was about to take place but pleased with himself all the same. He'd seen the doubt in Hennings' eyes and the fear in Matheson's. He may be strong, but Matheson was still much older than Hennings and wouldn't be able to stand against him. He held onto that thought as Hennings beat him senseless.

XXX

The bullpen was a flurry of commotion when Gideon walked in. His former teammates were scrambling to put together what had just happened. Hotch eventually called them into the conference room.

"How could you send him home?" Morgan demanded.

"I was sure that Matheson was watching, it wasn't hard for him to realize that he'd been staying with you or me. I'd hoped to throw him off and I didn't think an agent would turn on us like this," Hotch answered wearily.

"Turns out Johnson didn't do this willingly," Prentiss said as she threw an evidence bag down on the table. "The officers who searched his house found this." Rossi reached down to pick it up to read it aloud.

"_Johnson, my partner and I have your daughter. You will bring us SSA Dr. Reid at all costs if you ever want to see her again. Tell no one and bring no one along. Do as instructed and you will be reunited with your beloved daughter."_

"That explains why, but that doesn't help us much if we're going to find Reid," Morgan groused.

"Garcia's tracking him," Hotch replied. "He's still got the tracker on him, at least."

"Then why don't we know where he's taking Reid?" Rossi asked.

"The signal's weak and she's having trouble locking down on it, but we do know they're moving south and once the signal's strong enough she'll be able to pin down the exact location."

"So we wait?" Morgan cried.

"I'm afraid so," Hotch said.

XXX

A torturous hour went by as they waited for Garcia to pinpoint the location. While they waited, each went through a nightmare of what could be happening to their youngest, Gideon in particular. All that went through his mind was what happened in Georgia, the torments Reid had gone through echoed through his mind.

JJ suddenly burst into the room, a laptop in her hands. "You need to see this," she said. Everyone gathered around the laptop that displayed Garcia's distressed face.

"I just received this in an e-mail," she managed through a tear choked throat. She pressed a few keys and a video popped up. Matheson's voice crackled above the violent images in the video. "No, no!" Garcia cried in the background. "No, please God, not again!"

"Hello Jason, hello BAU," he greeted as his image brutally beat Reid with a two by four. "Don't bother tracking this, you won't find me that way. As you can see, Dr. Reid is suffering greatly. I hope you know you could have prevented this Jason, a long time ago. I want you to find me, but only when I want you to. I won't kill him yet, you will be here when that time comes. Until then, I look forward to our meeting." The video ended with Hennings giving one last kick to Reid's unconscious body and then leaving.

"I'll kill them," Morgan growled. Garcia's face reappeared on the screen.

"I've got some good news, I finally pinpointed Reid's location. He's on the very southern edge of Virginia, I'm sending you the address now."

"Thanks Garcia," Morgan said.

"Good luck," she replied.

"Now we know where we're going, let's move." Within minutes they were on the plane to the nearest airport, unwilling to waste any more time. As they soared through the air, each prayed that they would get there in time.

XXX

Reid awoke to a throbbing body and a bleeding side. He groaned as his sluggish mind came to the conclusion that his gunshot wound was open and bleeding again, judging by the small pool by his side and the large track of dried blood on his side, it was at least slowing. He moved each of his limbs slowly and carefully, testing his range of motion and hoping to determine the extent of the damage done to him. Fortunately, he could still move everything and stand.

He carefully moved about his small prison, stretching stiff and sore muscles and restoring blood flow to his limbs. He was fairly certain he had some internal damage, how bad he didn't know, but at least he could breathe and move without coughing up blood or anything else. He didn't even want to think of how bad his face looked right now.

Deciding that there wasn't much he couldn't do much about his injuries, Reid began examining his prison. It wasn't much, just a small room inside an old house with a strong door keeping him locked in. It had a window, but Reid wasn't sure he'd be able to get out of it. It wasn't bared, but it was small and situated a bit high.

Looking out the window, Reid could see a small, old farm with decaying buildings, overgrown fields, all surrounded by a dense forest. Frantically, Reid searched his pockets for the locator that Hotch had given him. He found it, cracked in a few places but still working. He just hoped the signal was strong enough for Garcia to trace…

XXX

Upon arriving in the small airport, JJ led them to a group of officers waiting near the gate. "Good afternoon, I'm agent Jureau and these are SSA Hotchner, Morgan, Prentiss, Rossi, and Jason Gideon."

"Daniels," the sheriff greeted as he shook her hand. "I've got a SWAT team ready for you, as well as a few of my men, but we're a small department and I can't spare too many guys."

"That's fine, thank you," Hotch said. "We just want to bring our agent home and put these two away for good."

"Right then," Daniels said as he lead them toward the SUVs. "I'd feel the same way if it were one of my men. We'll do all we can to help you."

"Thank you," Hotch replied heartfelt. They didn't talk anymore as they drove wildly to their destination.

XXX

As he rode in the vehicle, Gideon still couldn't help himself from picturing what may have happened to Reid, or if he was still even alive. He didn't want to come back to this job, he still didn't understand anything anymore, but he couldn't turn his back on Reid now. He was sure he wouldn't be any good in the field today, but at least he could be there for the young man.

"Hey," Morgan said. "He'll be fine. We'll get him home."

"I hope so," Gideon whispered.

XXX

While Reid tried to find a way out of his prison and his friends rushed to save him, Matheson and Hennings were arguing heatedly in the next room. Reid couldn't help but overhear what they said.

"I didn't join you to get killed by some Feds!" Hennings yelled.

"You won't," Matheson reassured.

"Do you plan to kill me?" Hennings demanded bitterly.

"Don't believe a word he says, it's a profiler trick."

"I still don't see why we had to go through so much trouble for this kid," Hennings grumbled, Reid could hear heavy footsteps gradually getting softer, presumably someone was leaving. He was almost relaxed until the door opened. Matheson stood there.

"Well, Dr. Reid, I think you're right," he said softly.

"What?"

"I do want this to stop, I wanted it to stop for Bobby too, now I'll finally be able to end this and get revenge on the last of Bobby's tormentors."

"Why are you telling me this?"

"What you said, it made me realize that you're right."

"Punishing Gideon won't end this, it'll only end your part in this vicious cycle," Reid tried to reason.

"Maybe, maybe not."

"By making others hurt the way you do doesn't solve anything, it just keeps the cycle going."

"I don't care!" Matheson screamed, lunging toward Reid. The profiler, however, was expecting that and ducked out of the way and ran as fast as he could, which wasn't very fast, out the door. He made it outside, thinking he was free, but then Hennings caught him and wrapped his massive arms around him. Reid struggled, but it was useless. Matheson stormed out the door. "Take him…" He was cut off by the arrival of five wailing vehicles, from which Reid's team, local officers, and SWAT leapt out, guns at the ready. Reid had never been so happy to see his team.

In response to this, Matheson pulled out a gun and leveled it at Reid's head.

"Take another step and I blow his brains out."


	5. Chapter 5

Hello all! I am proud to present the end and I hope you enjoy! I thank you all who have read this and stuck with me.

Gideon had never been one to believe those old clichés, such as one's blood freezing in their veins in response to something horrible, but right now, that's exactly what happened. Not only did if feel as if his blood froze when the barrel of the gun was placed against Reid's head, his breath caught in the back of his throat and he could have sworn his heart stopped. "Rick Matheson," Hotch called out. "You're surrounded, it's over."

"No it's not!" the delusional man cried. "It won't be over until he dies!"

"Who? Reid? He doesn't have anything to do with this," Hotch tried to reason.

"Let me talk to him Hotch," Gideon offered softly.

"I can't let you do that Jason," Hotch refuted curtly.

"He won't listen to any of us," Gideon countered. "And he wants to hurt me, not Reid. Let me talk to him, just until the snipers are in position." Hotch said nothing as he stared at the men holding his youngest agent at gunpoint. Around him, him team watched the situation unfold uneasily. He could feel Morgan's rage and desire to rush headlong against the men who hurt his friend, JJ's silent panic, Prentiss' nervousness and piercing eyes on his back, and Rossi watching impassively, though his eyes spoke far louder.

"Alright, but be careful," Hotch acquiesced. Gideon slowly walked forward, holding out his arms.

"Hello Jason," Matheson greeted cheerily, as if to greet an old friend. "It's been entirely too long since we last spoke with each other." The gun didn't waver from its place by Reid's temple.

"Not long enough," Gideon answered neutrally.

"I've upset you, haven't I?"

"You're not stupid Rick."

"So this scrawny kid does mean something to you.'

"Leave him out of this Rick; he has nothing to do with this."

"No," Matheson stated flatly, a hard edge coming to his otherwise amiable tone.

"Why not? You've hurt me, there isn't much more you can do to me Rick," Gideon countered gently. "I've even watched him die. There is nothing more you can do to me Rick."

"If I shoot him now, there is no way he'll be brought back," Matheson sneered as he readied the gun to fire. Reid shifted uneasily. Gideon's heart clenched at the sight of the bruises and blood on the young man he considered a son.

"Shoot me Rick, you've wanted to do it for years," Gideon challenged, holding his arms out wide. He wasn't expected to get involved in this so he wore no vest. He ignored the horrified gaze Reid leveled on him, no matter what; he couldn't let this maniac kill Reid.

Matheson paused, the gun slipping a little. He seemed to consider the offer as he sized Gideon up. "Why would you be willing to die for him? You can't even be sure I won't kill him anyway."

"I'm very sure Rick," Gideon answered smugly. "Even if you shoot me you won't have time to kill Reid." He then caught the young agent's eye, a small smile spread over his face.

"What is he doing?" Morgan growled in frustration.

"Trying to buy some time," Hotch answered tersely.

"He's going to get himself killed," Prentiss hissed, fear making her words curt.

"Give him time," Rossi advised although his grip on his gun remained ready to fire at any given moment.

"Kill you Jason?" Matheson drawled. The gun slowly moved from Reid to Gideon. "That does sound good." Before the gun was completely raised, Reid made his move.

He inhaled as deeply as possible, expanding his chest and weakening Henning's hold on him. He then exhaled sharply and ducked out from underneath the large man's arms. He mentally thanked Morgan for teaching him that trick right before he slammed his failing body into Matheson's.

The gun still fired and Gideon fell to the ground as his team and local cops came flying forward, guns pointing at the two murderers.

Reid felt someone pulling him off Matheson and gently lay him on his back. He felt frantic hands search for the source of blood and for a pulse. "Reid?" he heard someone call. Reid blearily opened his eyes, not realizing until then that they had been closed. Morgan's worried face hovered over him.

"Did you get them?" he asked wearily.

"Yeah kid," Morgan answered gently. "Hotch's got Matheson and Rossi's got Hennings. I don't think they're ever going to see the outside of a jail cell again."

"How's Gideon?" Reid demanded in a near panic, remembering how he'd seen his mentor fall to the ground.

"Easy kid," Morgan soothed. "Prentiss and JJ are with him." He glanced over at the trio. Prentiss acknowledged him with a smile. "Looks like he was hit in the arm, he'll be fine Reid." Reid felt relief so strong that it made him lightheaded. He closed his eyes and then opened them in irritation as Morgan tapped him on the face. "No sleeping just yet pretty boy," he said with a strained smile. Reid fought hard to stay conscious, but when he was finally loaded into the ambulance, he lost that fight.

XXX

Gideon waited impatiently with the rest of his former teammates as they waited for news on Reid. It had been hours and they had heard nothing. Gideon's arm had been treated so he had sought out his friends. For a little while there had been small talk, but now no one could bring themselves to break the silence.

Morgan had called Garcia and let her know that they had caught Hennings and Matheson but Reid was in bad shape and now paced angrily around the waiting room. JJ had called Will and now sat next to Prentiss, but clutching each other's hands. Hotch sat with his head bowed into his hands in silence as he waited. Rossi alternated watching his teammates and the clock. Gideon was trapped in his own private hell.

He couldn't get the images of the beaten Reid out of his mind no matter how hard he tried. He tormented himself with thoughts of how he could have done everything different, even going back to the original Matheson case. He went through every decision and wondered if there was anything he could have done differently. He wondered if Reid would stay with the Bureau after this, he wondered if Reid would even live. They hadn't heard anything for so long now…

Rossi's arrival stopped his dark train of thought. The other profiler sat next to him and looked at everything except him for a minute or two before speaking. "I know how hard this must be for you Jason, but you can't tear yourself up about everything that happened. You'd be doing Reid an injustice as well as needless tormenting yourself." Finally, Rossi turned to face him. "You had nothing to do with Reid's injuries. Matheson is the one to blame for that. He targeted you and Reid and that makes him the guilty one, not you."

Gideon didn't say anything or even acknowledge him for some time. Rossi simply shrugged and looked toward the clock once more. After some time, Gideon did turn to him. "Thank you Dave," he whispered. Rossi inclined his head and resumed staring at the clock. After an eternity, a doctor came to speak with them.

XXX

Reid would recover, he would be on a long sick leave and would no doubt need his friends to overcome the trauma he went through, but he would make a full recovery. The team couldn't be happier, the tension melting out of their bodies as soon as the words came out of the doctor's mouth. He was awake and asking for them, the doctor said they could visit him but only for a few minutes.

Morgan was the first in the door, smiling brightly. "Hey kid," he greeted cheerfully.

"Hi," Reid managed weakly. It hurt everyone to see him look so small and vulnerable in that hospital bed hooked up to various machines.

"Don't ever do something like that again," JJ scolded as she sat next to him on the bed.

"I'll try not to," Reid promised. Though he was beaten badly, the team was relieved to see that there were no lingering shadows in his eyes as there had been after the Henkel case. Reid's brown eyes fell on Gideon as he approached the bed.

"How are you feeling?" he asked quietly, unable to look Reid in the eye.

"I've been better," Reid answered just as softly. Everyone else discreetly withdrew to the periphery of the room to give them some privacy.

"Reid, I am so sorry…" Gideon began but Reid cut him off.

"This wasn't your fault," he said firmly. "This wasn't exactly how I wanted to see you again, but it could be worse." Gideon gaped at him for a moment before chuckling. Reid grinned as he watched the guilt wash away from his mentor's eyes.

"No, this wasn't how I planned a reunion either," he said with a laugh. Sobering, Gideon met Reid's eyes and said, "Spencer, if I could choose who I wanted for a son, I would have chosen you. I am so proud of you." Reid felt his throat thicken and tears threaten to fall as he responded.

"Thank you Gideon."

The rest of the team surrounded the bed once more, reassuring themselves of each other's safety and relishing the moment to be reunited with a beloved friend. A great deal of healing would need to take place, but soon the memories of the past few days would be ancient history for all of them.


End file.
